Seed-corn rack.



W. VAUDT.

SEED CORN, RACK.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 1, 1912.

Patented June 10, 1913.

ix-n

WILLIAM VAUDT, OF BOONEVILLE, IOWA.

SEED-CORN RACK.

earner.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented June 10, 1913.

Application filed August 1, 1912. Serial No. 712,796..

To all w/zom '1' i may concern lie it known that I, WILLIAM VAUDT, acitizen of the United States, residing at Booneville, in the county ofDallas and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Seed Corn Rack,of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a seed corn rack of simple,durable and inexpensive construction, which may be entirely closed forprotecting the seed corn contained therein, from the inroads of rodentsand similar posts.

A further object is to provide a seed corn rack of proper width toreceive an ear of corn and of considerable length and height, the sidesof which may be of meshed mate rial such as wire, and which may beprovided with a hinged cover at its top. w

A further object is to provide such a seed corn rack having wiresdetachably mounted therein in pairs, for supporting the corn.

My invention consists in certain details, in the construction,arrangement and combination of the various parts of my device, wherebythe objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a seed corn rackembodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the same withsome of the wires installed therein and with some of the wires removed.Fig. 3 shows a central, longitudinal vertical, sectional view of myimproved seed corn rack, and Fig. 4 shows an end elevation showing aportion of the end opposite that shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 shows amodified form of the slot 18 and loop 24.

In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 toindicate one end of my improved seed corn rack. The other end thereof isindicated by the reference numeral 11.

My rack is designed to be of sutlicient width to receive ears of cornand of any height and length desired.

Connecting the end member 11 with the end member 10, are horizontalframe members 13. The sides and bottom of my improved seed corn rack maybe made of foraminous material 14, such as meshed wire or the like. Onthe top of my rack is a hinged cover 15, on the free end of which is alatch member 16, designed to coact with the staple 17, or otherfastening device on theend member 10.

For supporting the ears of corn within my rack, I have provided thefollowing means: In the end member 10, I have provided a series ofelliptical openings 18. The openings 18 are arranged in pairs parallelwith each other in the same horizontal plane and having theirlongitudinal axes in vertical planes, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. In theend member 11 I have provided a plurality of openings 19 arranged inpairs opposite each pair of openings 18. The openings 19 are elongatedin a horizontal plane and are provided at their centers with downwardlyextending slots 20. I have provided wires 21 for supporting the ears ofcorn in my rack. The wires 21 are corrugated, as shown in Figs. land 3.Each Wire 21 is preferably provided at one end with a shoulder 22 and ahandle or knob 23. At its other end, each wire 21 is provided with aloop 24. The loop 24 is so constructed and arranged that it rests in aplane at right angles to the plane in which the corrugated wire lies.Each of the wires 21 is installed in the seed corn rack in the followingmanner: The loop 24 is inserted through the opening 19 from the outsideof the rack. The wire is then turned to permit the corrugated portionthereof to be inserted through the opening 19. The wire is then pushedinto the rack until the loop 24 is adjacent on the inside of the rack tothe opening 18 opposite the opening 19 through which the wire 21 wasinserted. The loop 24 is then inserted through the opening 18 and turnedat right angles thereto. The size of the shoulder 22 is such that itcannot be passed through the opening 19. The length of the wire 21 issuch that when it is installed in the rack with the loop 24 lying in ahorizontal plane, partof the loop 24 will be received in the opening 18andthe wire 21 will be held firmly against rotation. The loop 24 is ofsuitable size to pass readily through the opening 19 and through theopening 18 when said loop is in a vertical plane. The loop 24, however,is so large that it will not pass through the opening 18 when the loopis in a horizontal plane. The wires 21 are of somewhat resilient metalso that they will be firmly held when installed in position. The wires21 are arranged in parallel pairs and when installed in the rack, theears of corn 25 are placed in the successive downward corrugations andare held spaced apart by the alternating upward corrugations on saidwires, as shown in Fig. 3.

I have provided suitable handles 26 for carrying my improved seed cornrack. In Fig. 5 I have shown the slot 1S having a vertical portion and atransverse extension in both directions at its lower end. The loop 24:is substantially in the form of a rectangle with a V shaped extension atone side to fit in the slot, one side of the V being a continuation ofthewire 21.

In the practical use of my rack, the lid 15 is opened and assuming thatnone of the wires are in position, the bottom pair of wires is installedin the manner hereinbefore set forth. The ears of corn are then placedin position by placing them in the rack through the open upper endthereof, until the bottom pair of wires is full. The next 7 pair ofwires above, is then installed and filled with corn and the process isrepeated until the rack is entirely filled. Then it is desired to removethe corn from the rack, the lid is opened and the corn is removed fromthe upper pair of wires 21. Each of the upper pair of wires is thenrotated until the loop 24 rests in the same plane as the longitudinalaxis of the opening 18, when the head 23 may be .grasped and the wire 21may be withdrawn from the rack. When the loop 2-1- reaches the opening19, the wire is again rotated to permit the withdrawal of said loopthrough the opening 19. The corn on the second pair of wires is thenremoved and so on until the rack is emptied. In the form shown in Fig. 5the extension 24? fits into the slot 18 but is not wholly insertedtherein.

My improved seed corn rack is of simple The racks may be placed togetherside by side or may be piled one above the other. The wires 21 are easyto install and are easily and readily removed. The corn is so arrangedin the rack that it is subject to a free circulation of air at alltimes. The ears do not come in contact with each other and no part oftheir surface is in contact with the rack.

I claim as my invent-ion:

1. In a device of the class described, flat upright end members,horizontal members connecting said end members, a hinged cover, said endmembers being provided with a series of opposite openings arranged inpairs at the same height in each member to secure the wires mentionedherein, a plurality of corrugated wires provided with means at theirends for preventing the rotation of said wires.

2. In a device of the class described, a support having parallel uprightmembers, a plurality of wires arranged in pairs parallel with eachother, said wires being bent to form alternate depressions and ridges,the depressions of each pair of wires being designed to receive ears ofcorn resting upon said wires, said wires being detachably mounted onsaid upright members.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 8, 1912.

WILLIAM VAUDT.

Witnesses:

REX SrooNER, EMERY PIERCE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G."

